Line #160 Main/CameraTricks


1	[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/camera_trick_8.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:225:If I miss, I'll end up ''[[{{Pun}} on the cutting room floor]]''.]]
3	This is an assortment of things the camera can do in visual media. You can probably think of a few like slow motion, stop motion, split screen, and forced perspective, but there are ''hundreds of effects.'' Look at our list below, and be amazed at what your fellow Tropers have noticed being done with cameras. And if you notice one we've missed, we encourage you to edit this page and add it to our collection of wisdom.
4
5	Compare PhotographyAndIllustration and VariousVideogameViews. See also {{Formats}}, LightingTropes, and {{Montages}}.
6
7	----
8	[[index]]
9	!!Techniques:
10	[floatboxright:
11	'''Categories:'''
12	+ CutToTheIndex
13	+ SceneTransition
14	]
15	* AdrenalineTime - Use of regular speed and high speed or slow speed filming in the same scene
16	* AloneInACrowd- Standing while a crowd passes around you
17	* AspectRatioSwitch - Intentionally changing aspect ratios, for example from 4:3 to 16:9
18	* AstronomicZoom - A very long shot covering a huge change of area, for example, focusing on a house, then zooming into a blade of grass, or showing the earth, then zooming out to other planets or galaxies
19	* BackBlocking - When a person's back fills up most or all of the screen
20	* BackgroundBodyPart - Framing a character to look like they have an unusual body part, such as horns.
21	* BackgroundHalo - Placing a silhouette of light around (or above) a person's head
22	* BetweenMyLegs - A shot taken between someone's legs
23	* BinocularShot - A shot appearing to be through binoculars
24	* BulletTime - Camera moves around the scene as the image is in slow motion
25	* CameraAbuse - Shaking or apparent damage to the camera
26	* CameraSniper - Subject of an image appears as if in the sights of a sniper rifle
27	* ChromaKey - Using a solid color background (like blue or green screen) in the background to allow other visuals to show in place of the screen behind the person(s) or thing(s)
28	* CircularDrive - Drive or move objects or people in a circle around the camera to make it look like there are lots more things than there actually are
29	* CloseupOnHead - Extreme close up on head, often followed by a backup reveal showing an unusual view behind it
30	* ColorWash - Oversaturation of colors or a change of palette as an effect
31	* CompartmentShot - view of a container being opened from inside the container
32	* {{Cucoloris}} - Use of a flat opaque object with holes in it for light diffusion
33	* CueTheBilliardShot - close up of someone shooting pool
34	* CrystalClearPicture - Fixing the de-sync between InUniverse screens and the camera to avoid RasterVision.
35	* DemonicHeadShake - A person's head moves in an unusual or very fast speed
36	* DesolationShot - View of abandoned city or other ruined or otherwise trashed area
37	* DiscretionShot - Something implied but not actually shown
38	* DoorFocus - The camera lingers on a door because it's going to be reopened after a {{Beat}}.
39	* DoubleVision - Someone playing two or more roles so they can appear to be in two or more places at once.
40	* DownHereShot - Looking down at someone small
41	* DrivingADesk - Sitting at a stationary object while the appearance of motion occurs behind them
42	* DrugsCausingSlowMotion - Slow-motion effects used to simulate the distorted perspective of someone under the influence of drugs.
43	* DutchAngle - Shots taken from a slanted/tilted camera angle
44	* EatTheCamera - Camera zooms into someone's mouth
45	* EpicTrackingShot - camera movement that defies typical expectations, with unusual complexity, length or "impossible" movement
46	* ExtremeCloseUp - cameras zoom up to the face of the character in focus, sometimes zooming right in their eyes
47	* {{Eyedscreen}} - Specialized focus on something, by using black bars on the area of the screen above and below it
48	* FaceFramedInShadow - A face half-covered by shadow,
49	* FalseCameraEffects - A shot that looks as if it had been filmed on a set with an actual camera using an unusual lens or other camera trick.
50	* FakeVideoCameraView - Video appears to be through the viewfinder of a camera as if we were watching someone the camera is recording
51	* FilmingForEasyDub- Making sure the character's mouth can't be seen so potentially different dialogue can be dubbed in later
52	* FishEyeLens - extremely wide-angle lens used to produce a sense of disorientation
53	* FlyAtTheCameraEnding - Something in the shot decides to start flying, and comes straight at the camera
54	* FlyawayShot - Camera slowly zooms out and gives an aerial view of the setting
55	* ForcedPerspective - exploitation of the camera's 2-D vision so that close objects appear larger and distant objects appear smaller
56	* GaussianGirl - Person shot through a soft-focus filter, a piece of translucent plastic, or blurry material such as vaseline smeared on the lens
57	* TheGraduateHomageShot - Person looking through a window at a wedding banging on the glass and calling the name of the bride or groom
58	* GraspTheSun - Character who is about to attempt some superhuman feat reaches out towards a celestial object with their hand, as if to grasp it
59	* HalfemptyTwoShot - A shot of one character is composed asymmetrically, as if the character is in a two-shot with an invisible second character
60	* HandOfDeath - Horror film-style view of a hand or a pair of hands, and possibly the murder weapon itself
61	* HatAndCoatShot - Let the audience know that the story is over and it is time to grab your hat and coat and go home
62	* HollywoodDarkness - A character switches off the last light in the room, a vaguely bluish weak light switches on
63	* HolyBacklight - A character is lit from behind by a blinding light, usually making the figure indistinct
64	* HuddleShot - characters form a huddle; the camera POV switches, looking directly upward at the characters' heads
65	* InCameraEffects - Special effects produced by altering the camera or its parts, such as black-and-white in a color camera
66	* ImpairmentShot - Camera trick used to indicate that the character whose POV we are seeing is drugged, poisoned, sick, injured, or otherwise incapacitated
67	* AnInsert - Close-up shot of hands, a document, a murder weapon, and so on
68	* InsertCameo - An Insert of the creator's hand (or, rarely, some other body part), usually standing in for that of one of the regular actors
69	* InUniverseCamera - camera actually present in the "world" of the story
70	* JuxtaposedHalvesShot - Juxtaposing half the face or body of two characters in the middle or putting them beside each other and showing only half of each person
71	* KuleshovEffect - A single dull facial expression taking on deeper meanings based on context
72	* LensFlare - Glare causing a chain of circles, on an imaginary line from the object through the center of the frame
73	* LowAngleEmptyWorldShot - Shot intended to make a crowded or busy area look deserted
74	* MatteShot - Filming in front of a {{painting\|s}}, most often used to portray a non-existent vista
75	* MediumTwoShot - A two-character shot that frames their heads and torsos.
76	* MeltingFilmEffect - Appearing as if the film being watched is melting
77	* MenacingHandShot - Framing shot meant to dramatically show that one character means to threaten or attack another
78	* MoodLighting - Use of filters or digital post-processing to change the tint of the film
79	* {{Mouthscreen}} - A person's mouth and lips are pretty much all showing on the screen
80	* MotionBlur - Indicate that something is moving really fast by showing it as just a blur
81	* NostrilShot - Close-up shot taken from a low position upward toward the actors, so as to flaunt their nostrils
82	* OneEyedShot - One-Eyed Shot is a camera trick where a person's eye is shown onscreen
83	* TheOner - One very long, uninterrupted camera shot
84	* OrbitalKiss - Two characters kiss, and the camera rotates a full 360 degrees around them as this happens
85	* OrbitalShot - One subject around whom the camera circles, so as to provide a rotating view from all sides
86	* OverTheShoulder - A dialog speaker's shoulder is shot in a way that frames their interlocutor's head.
87	* {{Overcrank}} - Frame rate at which the film is being shot is higher than normal, so that when played back at a normal speed the action is in slow motion
88	* PaddleballShot - Playing with 3D effects by making people and objects appear to reach out from the screen at the audience
89	* PanFromTheSkyBeginning - The view pans down from the sky at the beginning of an episode or movie.
90	* PanUpToTheSkyEnding - Used at the end of an episode or movie, wherein the view pans up to the sky upon conclusion of a story arc
91	* PicturePerfectPresentation - Focus at a picture of a location or scene, then the photo dissolves into a view of the identical spot
92	* PlummetPerspective - Someone is hanging on a ledge when an unimportant object falls, the camera moves into position to show it falling hundreds of feet
93	* PuzzlePan - When a video game has a complex puzzle to solve, the game's camera will frequently pan around the screen, silently tracing the correct route
94	* RackFocus - Changing the point of focus from one character or object in frame, to another character or object that is closer to or more distant from the camera
95	* RasterVision - Flicker caused by the mismatch between the framerate the video being recorded is at and the framerate of a TV set or other video onscreen
96	* RedFilterOfDoom - Where everything shifts to a basically white-red-black spectrum, is often used to facilitate a change in mood
97	* RevealShot - A partial view of a scene expands to show something else, which significantly changes the situation
98	* RoundaboutShot - Character (or several) would spin around; while they are doing this, said character(s) is/are shown in close-up
99	* RoundTableShot - Character focused in at a table when the camera rotates left or right to the next character
100	* SciFiFlyby - Using an establishing shot to show a cool ship
101	* ScreamDiscretionShot - Something horrible is visited upon a character but the viewer doesn't see it directly
102	* ScreenShake - Shake the screen to emphasize what is happening
103	* SecondPersonAttack - Someone attacks the victim through the POV of that victim
104	* ShadowDiscretionShot - Alluding to something bad or unpleasant by showing it in shadow
105	* ShakyPOVCam - Using the camera to represent the POV of some fast-moving object or creature
106	* ShotReverseShot - Repeated Over the Shoulder shots interrupted by the occasional Medium Two-Shot
107	* SkywardScream - Camera is placed directly over the actor, pointing down, while the actor looks up into the camera or at the sky overhead and screams
108	* SlowMotionDrop - character receives some shocking news, causing them to drop something, and we follow its fall in slow motion
109	* SlowMotionFall - A person falling backwards (or forwards) in slow-motion
110	* SlowMotionPassBy - Two persons/vehicles pass by each other in opposite directions and the video is slowed down
111	* SnowyScreenOfDeath - Screens giving a visual feed have gone full of static
112	* SocialSemiCircle - Characters sit in an awkward semi-circle around a table so as to avoid anyone sitting with their backs to the camera/audience
113	* SplitScreen - Showing two or more people in different locations onscreen at the same time
114	* SplitScreenPhoneCall - Both people on a phone call are shown simultaneously
115	* SplitScreenReaction - To show the reactions of all involved in some event, the screen is split into sections
116	* SpreadWingsFrameShot - A character is framed so it appears to sprout wings
117	* StairwellChase - Someone is being chased up or down a flight of stairs
118	* StaggeredZoom - Three or more shots, varying in distance but focused on the same point, cut together rapidly
119	* StalkerShot - The camera reveals someone stalking another character without their knowledge
120	* StopMotion - Animate models, one frame at a time
121	* StopTrick - Stop the camera, change or add something to the shot, and start it again with everything else in the same positions
122	* SymbolicSereneSubmersion - Visual metaphor where a person is passively submerged in an ocean, pool, or other body of water for symbolic reasons
123	* TalkingHeads
124	* ThreeCameras
125	* TimeLapse
126	* TrackingShot
127	** EpicTrackingShot
128	** ObjectTrackingShot
129	* TraitorShot
130	* TransformationDiscretionShot
131	* TrunkShot
132	* {{Undercrank}}
133	* UnnaturallyBlueLighting
134	* UnrevealAngle
135	* VertigoEffect
136	* VisibleBoomMic
137	* WalkAndTalk
138	* WarmPlaceWarmLighting - Using an unnatural orange or yellow ColorWash to denote a setting's heat
139	* WhipPan
140	* WidescreenShot
141
142	!!!Various kinds of "Cams"
143	* ArrowCam
144	* DizzyCam
145	* EyeCam
146	* FaceCam
147	* FakeVideoCameraView
148	* HitlerCam
149	* ImpendingDoomPOV
150	* JitterCam
151	* MouthCam
152	* NecroCam: A FlashbackMontageRealization about how a character died.
153	* POVCam
154	* RoboCam
155	* SteadiCam
156
157	!!!Standard shot mechanics and terms
158	* DepthOfField: The span of distance along the shot axis in which objects will be in focus.
159	* {{Dolly}}: Moving the camera toward or away from the subject (z-axis).
160	* MediaNotes/FocalLength: The degree of magnification in a camera lens.
161	* MotionParallax: Emulating the distance/perception of movement dichotomy (farther=slower) through layers.
162	* {{Pan}}: Horizontally rotating the camera to get a grasp of the panorama.
163	* {{Tilt}}: Vertically rotating the camera.
164	* {{Truck}}: Horizontally moving the camera without rotating it.
165	* {{Zoom}}: Changing the MediaNotes/FocalLength of the camera.
166
167	!!!Editing
168	* AspectRatio
169	** {{Letterbox}}
170	** PanAndScan
171	** VisualCompression
172	* TheKenBurnsEffect
173	* RecurringCameraShot
174	* VideoEditingTerminology
175
176	!!!Other camera tricks
177	[[foldercontrol]]
178
179	[[folder:Camera Chase]]
180	In a documentary or news program, the narrator walks briskly towards the camera for no good reason to convey a sense of "dynamic energy" or some such rubbish. Often parodied by having the announcer hit his head on the camera. May also include instances where the reporter/narrator walks toward the camera, not briskly, but kind of slowly as if to impart a sense of intimacy.
181	[[/folder]]
182
183	[[folder:Framed Subject]]
184	The camera is positioned so that the subject, usually a person, is framed by something in the background such as a window or a doorway.
185
186	This has a psychological effect on the viewer and is intended to provoke a sympathetic response.
187
188	Can be used anywhere but watch for it in news interviews and commercials.
189
190	This may be part of a larger trope, using blocking and camera position to influence the viewer. See:
191
192	* Dutch Angle
193	* Half-Empty Two-Shot
194	* HitlerCam
195	* Vertigo Effect
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Head Cam]]
199	The Head Cam is a helmet with a snakelike appendage that holds a miniature video camera in front of the wearer's face. The wearer is always in focus and centered in the camera's view while their background goes bouncing and jiggling behind. Perspective can be exaggerated by the extreme wide-angle or fisheye lens necessary to get the entire face in the shot at such close range.
200
201	The Head Cam is often seen in reality TV shows like ''Series/TheMole'' and ''Series/FearFactor.'' Peter Gabriel also used such a camera on his Secret World Live tour for the song "Digging in the Dirt" (you can see it in action on the DVD from this tour).
202
203	Similar to the {{Facecam}}, except the Face Cam isn't mounted in a helmet.
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder:Pedestal]]
207	Refers to moving the camera vertically without changing the angle at which it points (that would be a {{Tilt}}). Usage: "pedestal up," "pedestal down".
208
209	The name is a reference to the spring or gas counterbalanced stand to which a studio camera is mounted (they can also be power adjustable). This same move can be renamed according to the equipment used, i.e. "boom up", "crane up", etc.
210	[[/folder]]
211
212	[[folder:Split Diopter]]
213	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/ReservoirDogs https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/split_diopter.jpg]]]]
214	[[caption-width-right:350:Notice the blur line in the middle.]]
215
216	A diopter is a filter that works similar to a magnifying glass, making a lens focus closer. A split diopter has it on only one side, meaning that one side focuses close and the other farther away. This allows objects at different distances from the camera (usually on the left and right side of the screen) to be in focus simultaneously. (Compare RackFocus where only one part is in focus at a given time.)
217
218	Used to great effect in ''Film/TheThing1982'', for example, where dark sets disguised the blurred region in the middle of the split shot. Sometimes used by first-time directors as a way to "show off" their technical skills.
219
220	Although it can be, and often is, used as a special effect, a scene as simple as two characters conversing might call for a split diopter (or a tilt/shift lens, which provides a similar effect by allowing the focal plane to be tilted so it is no longer parallel to the film) if the characters are not at the same distance from the camera. Of course, many shots are staged with the characters equally distant from the camera precisely because no special optics are needed.
221	[[/folder]]
222
223	[[folder:Split Edit]]
224	When the video and audio transitions between scenes are not matched up. For instance, a character is describing a place or person. HardCut (or {{dissolve}}, or whatever) to the featured person or place, while the description continues in voice over. Conversely, a character sets out on a journey, and the roar of a landing jet rudely fades in before the cut to the inevitable LandingGearShot. Used to tighten continuity between shots. Also known as an L Cut or a J Cut, from the physical shape of the cut on a film strip (where audio is below video).
225
226	Many times used in interviews, cutting to the subject before the question is finished, to show reactions. Often very useful, as the reporter's side of the interview is often shot well after the interview is over -- field crews seldom carry more than one camera.
227
228	See also TransitionTrack.
229	[[/folder]]
230
231	[[folder:Wet-for-Dry]]
232	Wet-for-dry is a term in the film industry for a special effect wherein an actor or prop is filmed in a water-filled tank, then imposed onto the film most often via ChromaKey or similar technology. The purpose of this is either to facilitate SlowMotion or to create the image of a supernatural creature not entirely bound by gravity. Filming in water works most effectively on hair and other long, flexible appendages, so expect this effect to take full advantage of such.
233
234	The opposite of wet-for-dry is dry-for-wet, where a subject filmed on a stage is imposed onto a water backdrop to avoid having to film underwater, thus making it possible for actors to do a scene while also being able to, for instance, breathe.
235	[[/folder]]

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